UCAT Dates: Registration, Booking, Fees and the Testing Window

The UCAT runs once a year over the summer before you apply: registration opens in May, booking opens in June, testing runs from mid-July to late September, and results reach universities in early November, after the 15 October UCAS deadline for medicine and dentistry. Exact dates for the current cycle, the test fee and the bursary deadline are in the key facts on this page. You register, book and pay yourself, and the UCAT Consortium makes no exceptions to its deadlines.

When is the UCAT?

The UCAT is sat in a single testing window each summer, at a time you book at a Pearson VUE test centre. You sit it in the summer between Year 12 and Year 13 for entry in the following autumn, or the autumn after that if you defer.

A UCAT result is valid for one admissions cycle only, so a result from the summer before you apply cannot be carried over to a later year.

When should you book the UCAT?

Book as soon as booking opens if you have a preferred date or centre, and choose a date that leaves you enough preparation time but still falls before the end of the window. Test centre appointments are allocated on a first-come basis, and the UCAT advises candidates who cannot find a slot to try other dates, times and centres, or to check again later as other candidates cancel or reschedule.

Most students choose between two approaches:

• Earlier in the window (July or early August): the test is done before Year 13 starts, and the result is known before you choose universities. It leaves fewer weeks for preparation after school ends.
• Later in the window (late August or September): more preparation time over the summer, but the test may clash with the start of Year 13 and leaves less margin if anything goes wrong.

Your score is available within 24 hours, well before the UCAS deadline, so whichever date you choose you can use the result to decide where to apply. The UCAT score converter shows how to read it against the official deciles.

Featured tutors

Ellis A.

Master Tutor

Computer Science

I'm Head of Computer Science at a secondary school in Cornwall, where I lead staff CPD, after seven years in technology consulting. I teach GCSE and A-Level Computer Science, and I'm known for explaining the algorithms pupils find hardest in plain terms, little and often.

Enquire about this tutor

Michael M.

Master Tutor

EconomicsBusiness StudiesOxbridge Preparation

I taught Economics for nine years, latterly as Head of Economics at Winchester College, and I examine for AQA and Edexcel. I teach Economics and Business Studies to A-Level and prepare Oxbridge and UCAS applicants, working from Rosenshine's principles of direct instruction.

Enquire about this tutor

Michael O.

Master Tutor

MathsEconomicsPhysicsChemistry

I have a First in Economics from York and an MSc from UCL, and have tutored for seven years, including SEN students. I teach maths, economics, physics, chemistry and biology to GCSE, A-Level, IB and AP. I build strong foundations so advanced questions feel intuitive.

Enquire about this tutor

See all tutors

How to register and book

Registration and booking happen in two steps through your UCAT account.

1. Create a UCAT account once registration opens, using the same personal details as your UCAS application, since UCAT matches results to UCAS records.
2. Apply for a bursary or access arrangements first if you are eligible, because both need to be approved before you book.
3. Book your test once booking opens, choosing a test centre, date and time. You pay at the time of booking by debit or credit card unless a bursary voucher applies.
4. Check your confirmation and read the test day information, including the photo ID policy.

How much does the UCAT cost?

The UCAT has a single fee, paid when you book, with a lower rate for tests taken in the UK; the current amounts are in the key facts.

The UCAT Bursary waives the fee for UK candidates who meet the bursary criteria. When results go to universities, a bursary is flagged, and the Consortium says this does not disadvantage an application and that some universities use it to identify candidates from under-represented backgrounds. You must apply again in each testing year, with evidence that meets that year's requirements.

Where can you sit the UCAT?

You sit the UCAT on a computer at a Pearson VUE test centre, and centres are available across the UK and in many other countries. The test centre locator on the UCAT website lists them. Candidates for whom travel to a test centre is difficult because of distance, war, civil unrest or natural disaster can apply to sit an online proctored version, OnVUE UCAT, which has its own rules for the room and for note-taking.

At the centre you are given an A4 laminated notebook and pen for working, and a basic on-screen calculator is available in Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning.

Access arrangements and extra time

Candidates with a disability can apply for access arrangements: the standard extra-time allowance is 25%, and pause-the-clock rest breaks equal to 10 minutes for each hour of testing and other adjustments are also available. Applications open with registration and must be approved before you book, and there is a deadline in September. The UCAT access arrangements page lists the evidence needed for each arrangement.

The official practice tests are available with standard timing, with 25% extra time and untimed, so you can practise in the format you will sit.

Rescheduling, cancelling and missed tests

You can reschedule your test up to 24 hours before your appointment without losing the fee, subject to availability in the testing window. If you miss that deadline or miss the test, you lose the fee and are not eligible for a free reschedule, so it is worth checking the date, time and centre address as soon as you book.

Related guides

• UCAT guide: subtests, scoring and how universities use it
• How to prepare for the UCAT
• UCAT practice questions and official practice tests
• UCAT score converter
• How to apply to UK medical schools
• University admissions tests in the UK

University admissions support from Taylor Tuition

Students preparing for the UCAT often want structured practice alongside their application, with someone checking timed work and planning the weeks before the test. Our tutors are graduates of Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, and the tutor pool includes former heads of department and school leaders, experienced exam-board examiners, teachers from independent and boarding schools, and educational consultants with independent-school admissions experience.

Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, there is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free. Tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and families receive progress reports after sessions.

Read more about our UCAT tutors, or send an enquiry and we reply with tutor recommendations.